The present invention relates to under-cabinet lighting fixtures. More particularly, the present invention relates to high voltage under-cabinet lighting fixtures which are readily installed to provide bright lighting with controlled and limited transfer of heat to mounting surfaces.
Lights and lighting not only provide useful general illumination of interior and exterior spaces in homes and buildings, but also provide ornamental and artistic treatments for decorative purposes. These purposes include lighting functions as well as highlights for artwork, for accent and interior ornamental design functions, and other functions. Often furniture or cabinetry have lights for illuminating articles held within the furniture or cabinets. For cabinets, and in particular kitchen wall cabinets, lighting fixtures are often mounted to a lower exterior surface or recessed therein, for providing lighting to countertop surfaces below the cabinets. In a xe2x80x9crecessxe2x80x9d application, a cavity within a shelf receives the light fixture. The lighting fixture thereby has a reduced profile outwardly of the mounting surface.
One type of lighting fixture is known as an under-cabinet puck light. These lights are generally cylindrical disc-shaped housings. The housings contain a reflector, a lamp socket with a light emitive bulb, and a glass lens for transmitting light from the housing to the countertop surface below the cabinet. The socket connects to a supply of electrical current.
Under-cabinet puck lights originated in the European lighting market a number of years ago by primarily German and Italian manufacturers. These under-cabinet puck lights included transformer devices to provide 12 volt direct current for illuminating the light bulbs. The transformer connects to line voltage, which in Europe is 220 volt alternating current, to provide the electrical current for operating the lights at the stepped-down voltage. Generally, a plurality of the under-cabinet puck lights connect by electrical wires to the transformer. These lighting systems were known as low voltage systems, due to operation with the stepped-down direct current of 12 volts from the transformer.
Such low voltage direct current lighting systems provide a number of advantages. The light housings and transformers are installed by connecting the transformer directly to the line current and then using wiring to connect the lights to the transformer. Because the current was low voltage, the connections of the wiring do not require special electrical junction boxes. Also, special conduit is generally not required for the wiring, and the wiring may be exposed, although preferably the wiring is placed at side edges of the shelf or other support surface to which the lighting fixture was attached. Further, the low voltage lights generate little heat. Accordingly, these low voltage under-cabinet puck lights are appropriate for use mounted to wooden surfaces under kitchen cabinetry or recessed into shelf portions of cabinets. The lights provide several pools of lights to the countertop surface, and are used typically in kitchens and display cabinetry for providing light on the working surfaces in kitchens as well as for use in highlighting articles in display cabinets.
While the under-cabinet puck lights provide light to work areas, the brightness of the illuminative effect has not been entirely satisfactory. In response, Lusa Lighting of Los Angelos, Calif., developed a low-voltage puck lighting system using halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs provide a significantly higher light output per watt as compared to conventional incandescent bulbs. Low voltage under-cabinet halogen light systems use the low voltage components discussed above. These systems have a maximum of approximately 20 watts per lighting fixture installed in surface mount or recessed mount applications.
The low voltage halogen lights are generally powered by electronic transformers which function on the low side at 12 volts direct current output and on the high side with 120 volts alternating current input, for use in the United States. Use of transformers however is not entirely satisfactory. Transformers are subject radio frequency interference which may cause lights to flicker or dim. Transformers are generally bulky and require special mounting. The total combined wattage of the lamps operated by the transformer cannot exceed the output of the transformer. Also, many electronic transformers do not deliver the full rated wattage to the lamps. As the distance increases between the lamp and the transformer, the lumen output decreases. In response, lighting systems that use high voltage, 120 volt alternating current has been developed. Generally 120 volt systems do not limit the number of lamps used in an application. Lumen output from the lamps remains constant, independent of the length of the electrical cord. Lamps operated on an 120 volt system receive full wattage capacity. Single lights are readily installed with standard plug and switches and do not require separately provided transformer. These systems however require steel housings to accommodate the increased heat emitted by the lamps operating at high-current, line voltage. These lighting fixtures require surface mounting, and are not designed to be incorporated into recess-mounted applications. The high voltage systems therefore eliminated the transformer requirement for under-cabinet lighting, but the heat generated by the lamps at line voltage limited the applications for use. Further, high voltage light bulbs typically had threaded bases for engaging screw sockets. These sockets are bulky in size and generally impractical for the smaller under-cabinet puck type fixture. Small bulbs using line voltage also had relatively limited life, and typically required replacement more frequently than do the low voltage bulbs.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an under-cabinet lighting fixture for surface and recessed mounting and operating on high line voltage for increased illumination with controlled transfer of the heat communicated therefrom. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention provides an under-cabinet lighting fixture for surface and recessed mounting and operating on high line voltage for increased illumination with controlled transfer of the heat communicated therefrom, with a housing that defines an open end opposing a base having a thickened portion. The housing defines a plurality of openings in the base, and a plurality of projections extending from an edge of the housing. A reflector defining a dished cavity seats on the projections to define a gap between the reflector and the housing. A lamp socket received in the housing engages a lamp bulb that is substantially in alignment with the thickened portion of the base and disposed in the dished cavity. A cap received on the housing has a plurality of spaced-apart ports. The high voltage lighting fixture defines a pathway for communicating air through the ports, the gap, and the openings, past the reflector for communicating heat from the reflector to ambient air.
Objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be come apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.